


Every Minute of Every Day

by CalledMyHappiness



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Gen, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:54:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24823426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CalledMyHappiness/pseuds/CalledMyHappiness
Summary: One prompt, 13 stories.A collection of one-shots for each member under randomly chosen prompts.
Relationships: SEVENTEEN Ensemble/Original Character(s), SEVENTEEN Ensemble/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	1. Foreword

Hello! It's my first work on here. Sorry if the grammar may be off at some parts. I'm still learning. I'll try to update as regularly as I can! I won't start a new prompt until I finish a one-shot for each member and I already have a few prompts lined up already but if ever you have suggestions, feel free to comment them! :) 

Thank you very much and I hope you enjoy reading these just as much as I enjoyed writing them. :)

Disclaimer: Purely fictional, any coincidences to real life events are coincidental. Characters are based on the members but I'm not trying to force a personality or anything! It's just how i view their personalities :))


	2. 1_1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 1: 
> 
> Coming home after a long day
> 
> Part1: '95 line

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting things off with the 95liners! I've decided to do chapters by age line so it's not too overwhelming in one chapter and not too many chapters posted per prompt! I'm still a bit nervous about how this will go but please do let me know if you like the story/format or not! Feel free to leave a comment! :) Enjoy!

**S.Coups:**

It’s already half past midnight, your anniversary already over. You sigh and quietly pack the dinner you made into individual containers and store them into the refrigerator. You think after 5 years of dating you’d have at least one normal anniversary but you’re not exactly surprised. You try your be understanding after all, he’s got 12 other kids to look after day after day, night after night. 

Tonight was just one of those nights.

You lay down on the sofa, your eyes fixated on the k-drama playing on the TV screen. A little while later, you hear the keypad on your door beeping. Fearing the worst, you grab an umbrella and creep towards your door, ready to battle the possible intruder. As soon as the door opens, your umbrella comes face to face with Seungcheol’s nose. You lower your umbrella and see a grinning and rather apologetic-looking Seungcheol with a slow stream of blood dripping down his nose.

**Seungcheol:** Hi there, Nice to see you too.

After a quick ice pack and a check to see if his nose was broken, Seungcheol starts to speak.

**Seungcheol:** Hey so sorry for not showing up on time. We ran into some complications with the choreography and lost track of time. I know it’s not an excuse but I’m sorry.

**You:** Don’t be. I should be sorry. My paranoid self almost caused your face to be bruised. How could I explain to the guys that I damaged this money-maker of yours.

**Seungcheol:** Yah! don’t be sorry! Plus our makeup artists can do wonders these days! but still, I’m sorry, I really am. After 5 years I’ve always worried you’d give up. It always eats me up at the back of my mind but at the same time I can’t abandon the group. I’m still trying to find the balance, thank you for helping me keep the balance. I’m sorry to always keep you waiting.

You give him a hug and reassure him; he’d always be worth the wait. Besides, what was 30 minutes in the grand scheme of things. It didn’t matter if you had to go wait for 5 more hours, months, or even years. If it was for him, you’d wait. He shows you just how caring he is. Towards you, his members, his fans. And no matter how busy he is, he always makes time for you. Here’s a guy who not only tries, but makes sure he gets things done. 

You spend the night cuddling on the sofa, eating reheated versions of your anniversary dinner. You eventually fall asleep in each others arms. No more waiting. Just living in the moment.

* * *

**Jeonghan**

You kick your shoes off at the doorway, not even bothering to clean up the water you managed to track in. The one day you didn't bring your umbrella and it’s raining cats and dogs. Just your luck.

You collapsein bed, the pile of tissues next to it steadily rising. You only just had enough energy to grab some medicine before your cold and the gentle tapping of the rain against the windowsill lulled you to sleep.

You wake up several hours later with a bowl of warm soup replacing the mountain of tissues on your bedside table, your soaking wet clothes replaced with your favorite pajamas, and the sound of rustling in your kitchen. You take careful steps towards the door, armed with a baseball bat you keep near your bed in case of intruders. You reached for the doorknob but before you could grab hold, the door swung open and you screamed, blindly swinging the bat

“Jeez. I guess I’ll take that as a thank you.”

Jeonghan stared back at you, eyes bewildered at the sight of his girlfriend in furry cat pajamas inches away from getting a concussion. You immediately drop the bat and wrap you arms around him. 

**You:** “I’m sorry I thought you were an intruder.”

You feel his arms snake around your waist, returning your hug. 

**Jeonghan:** It’s okay. I low-key was. I should’ve texted before I came. But you weren’t answering your phone, I was beginning to get worried. And when i came in I saw you drenched and sniffling. You didn’t bring your umbrella again didn’t you? Tsk, what will you do without me.

You two stay like that, gently swaying. You feel his lips kiss the side of your head as he gently buries his into the crook of your neck. He carries you back into bed and feeds you the soup he makes. 

It’s terrible. Its saltier than the dead sea but you force a smile. He knows you're forcing it which makes him smile apologetically as you attempt to finish the whole bowl. 

**You:** Now that my cold is cured I guess I’d just have to worry about my liver failing me with all this sodium in my system. 

He gently taps your shoulder as he leaves to put the bowl in the sink. You settle yourself into the sheets and try to get more sleep when you feel him climb into bed with you. Without opening your eyes, you twist your body and bury yourself in his arms. He strokes your hair and sings you to sleep with his angelic voice. 

You stay that way into the night, wrapped in each other’s arms like nothing else in the world matters.

* * *

**Joshua**

You slam your fists on the desk in frustration. No matter how many hours you spend on this balance sheet, It doesn’t seem to balance. You already spent the entire day at the library and when it wasn't working you decided to continue working at Joshua’s place so if you fall asleep, he could wake you up. 

You storm into the kitchen, searching through his fridge if there was anything in it to keep you awake. You stand there for a while, staring into the fridge as if willing a box of iced coffee to appear at any moment. The dim light frames your face as you struggle to stay awake, the coolness gently inviting your body to sleep. Suddenly, you feel a pair of arms snake around your waist and a head rest on your shoulder. Joshua’s strawberry scented shampoo and slightly damp hair indicated that he just finished taking a shower and must've found you rummaging through his fridge. You’ll never admit it to him, but the smell drives you insane.

“I thought you said you weren’t going to leave the desk until everything was balanced.”, he says in his sleepy voice that drives you just as insane.

You turn to face him and find yourself so close to each other’s faces that you could feel his warm breath on your cheeks. He gently leans over and his lips find yours. You kiss him back; gentle and fleeting. He replies hungrily and before long you find yourself perched on the kitchen counter, arms wrapped around his neck, making out like you had nothing else to do. 

He pulls away and stares at you. He tucks a strand of hair behind your ears and the corners of his lips turn upwards. 

“We can keep going but you and I both know you have to finish balancing those sheets. Don’t worry, I have a surprise waiting for you once you finish.” he winks at you and you swear you feel yourself melt right there and then.

With a final peck, you hop off the counter, storm back to the desk and fire away at your balance sheets with a newfound determination.


	3. 1_2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 1:
> 
> Coming home after a long day
> 
> Part2: '96 line

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Comeback day!!! Don't forget to stream and vote for Left&Right and Heng:garae! You can find various streaming and voting guidelines on twitter! Let's go AOTY and SOTY!!!
> 
> Also word of warning, I'm sorry Jihoon's is way longer than everyone else's. He is my ultimate bias and I got a bit carried away. hehe. 
> 
> Please do leave a comment or kudo :) I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story/format.
> 
> Thank you and have a great day!

**Jun**

There was playdoh in your hair, some wedged deep in your nail beds, and your hands were all different shades of poster paints. Today was an especially rough day at the preschool you worked at. It was raining so all recess and outdoor activities were moved indoors and for some reason the school decided to give all of the kids ice cream right before nap time. 

As much as you loved the kids, you also loved your sanity.

It didn’t take long for you to reach your apartment and immediately crash on your sofa, the days activities slowly taking effect. Just when you were about to drift off to sleep, Junhui runs out of the kitchen in an attempt to surprise you. Wielding a lightsaber in one hand, he throws another your way and challenges you to a duel. 

All you could do was stare and blink. All of a sudden you felt tears pouring down your cheeks. You haven’t even bothered to lift yourself off the sofa and just started bawling. An alarmed Jun dropped his plastic lightsaber and bounded towards you. 

He gently picks you up and cradles you, letting you cry into his chest. He rubs circles on your back in an attempt to calm you down, just as he always does when you have panic attacks. You both sit there in hushed silence for what seemed like hours, your cries slowly dissolving into quiet sobs. He strokes your hair gently while simultaneously picking bits of playdoh out, careful not to get any on the carpet. He doesn’t even ask why you just suddenly burst into tears, he knows you’ll tell him when you're ready.

**You:** I’m sorry I couldn’t indulge you in a lightsaber fight. I think I’m just really tired.

**Jun:** Judging by the amount of playdoh in your hair, I would say you had a rather eventful day. Tell me about it if you want. If not, that’s fine. But we should really do something about the paint on your hands.

He gently leads you to the kitchen sink and he gently scrubs out the paint and playdoh from. You can’t help but stare at him. A few minutes ago this 6-foot, 24-year old was challenging you to a lightsaber fight in the middle of the living room. Now he’s gently scrubbing your hands like how you would with one of your students. You can’t help but chuckle.

**Jun:** What’s so funny? Do I get any of the paint on my face or something?

**You:** Nope. I’m just happy.

He grins and pulls you into a hug. After a long day, this is all you really need to calm you down.

**You:** Hey Junhui.

**Jun:** yea?

**You:** You know you really shouldn’t challenge me to lightsaber fights anymore.

Jun looks at you straight in the eyes with equal parts sorry and concern. He looks at you with such sad eyes, like he’s afraid he’s insulted or hurt you. He starts mumbling about how he’s sorry and he’ll try to be more sensitive to the situation and mature from now on.

**You:** Let me finish. I mean you really shouldn’t challenge me to lightsaber fights anymore because you’ll just lose anyways so what’s the point. 

With that, his cheeky grin returned and he tossed you a lightsaber. You spent the rest of the night leaping past each other, pretend stabbing, and eventually collapsing onto the floor in fits of laughter. You roll into his arms and stay on the floor like that for a while. After a long day, this is just what you need. Junhui, lightsabers, and laughter to last you a lifetime.

* * *

**Hoshi**

You sit straight up; another nightmare waking you up at ungodly hours. No matter what you do, they never seem to disappear. Ever since that unfateful day, your sleeps have ceased to be peaceful. 

It was a Tuesday and you were on your way home after a yoga class. You decided to take the bus; It’ll be fine, you thought. Apparently the creepy man behind you thought otherwise. He followed you all the way home, grabbed you as you tried to run. Thankfully it was that day of all days when the boys decided to swing by your neighborhood to invite you to eat dinner. The performance team always ends practice later so they never get to eat dinner with the rest. 

The rage in Soonyoung’s eyes was unbridled. If Minghao didn’t stop him from beating the man to a pulp, you were almost certain assaulting you would’ve been his last moment on earth. The police arrived shortly after and Soonyoung quickly whisked you away. 

Every day after that, going home didn’t feel safe anymore. Eventually, the fear won and you had to move. The members found you an apartment close to theirs, so that if anything were to happen again, one of them would be close enough to run straight to you. 

Eventually, things got better. You no longer lived in fear of being followed. You could walk home without having to reach for the boxcutter in your handbag. Soonyoung would text you everyday, making sure you got home safely. On the rare days he was off, he would wait for you at the bus station and walk you home. More often than not, he would stay at your apartment until you fell asleep. “To make sure you’re safe”, he says. 

Eventually you settled into your routine. But on nights like this, the nightmares would leave you paralyzed in fear. You grab your phone. It’s 3AM and they just came back from a late night shoot. It was a long shot and you thought to yourself that you should really let him get some rest. You settled on leaving him a text, detailing your nightmare and how you woke up in cold sweat once again. You tossed your phone onto your bedside table and left it to fate. He’ll read it when he wakes up in the morning, at least he wouldn’t get mad that i didn’t tell him. The next few minutes were spent with restless sleep, tossing and turning. 30 minutes later, the keypad of your door starts to beep. Someone is trying to get in. 

Somehow, your first instinct was to bury yourself in your sheets. You knew you had your box cutter in the drawer next to your bed and your phone was only on the bedside table. But for some reason, your brain shut off at such a crucial moment and all you could do was cry. 

You heard footsteps slowly creep towards your bedroom door. This was it, you thought. this was how you die. You made a mental note that if you did, may the heavens at least grant your spirit a visit to Soonyoung’s dreams for a final goodbye; so that his dreams may be better than yours. 

The door to your bedroom creaks open and you shake with fear. When the figure reaches out and grabs your shoulder, you thrash and scream. He grabs both your shoulders and pulls you towards himself, seemingly restraining you. And that’s when you manage to peek out from under your sheets and look up at the eyes you fell in love with all those years ago. 

Soonyoung’s usual 10:10 eyes were now wide with fear and concern. His eyes gaze at your tear-stained ones as he realizes what he’s done.

**Soonyoung:** Oh my god oh my god. I’m so sorry. Oh my god it’s all my fault. I just thought since you said you were going to try to go to sleep and I didn’t want to wake you up and disturb you and—

You threw yourself into his arms, tears streaming down your face. As mad as you were at him, you couldn’t blame him. Here he was at 3 in the morning in your apartment, probably running on less than an hour of sleep after a full day of strenuous shootings just to comfort you just because you said you had a nightmare. 

This was your Soonyoung who fought the company to let you two date, almost risked going to jail just to protect you, spent days and weeks of his precious free time looking for a safe space for you to move to. As dense as he may be sometimes, his heart was something to be admired. You chuckle and wipe your tears away. He tucks you into bed and joins you, cuddling you until you felt safe enough to stop shaking.

**You:** Next time, just knock okay?

He promises and for the first time in a long time, you go to sleep with only the sweetest of dreams.

* * *

**Wonwoo**

You drag your feet into your apartment and kick off one heel after another. You walk into the living room and find Wonwoo already there, game console in one hand, soda in the other. He’s so laser-focused on the screen in front of him that you think he doesn’t even notice you’ve come home. 

You make dinner like you always do. Set the table like you always do. Freshen up and change before dinner like you always do. Everyday has been the same. You come home, see Wonwoo gaming, eat, sleep, repeat. You felt your life entered a cycle. It was comfortable but deep down, you felt like it was becoming stagnant. You eat dinner as Wonwoo tells you all about the adventures he went on in his game. On a good day, you’d join him enthusiastically in his conversations, even join him in a game. But today was different. Someone else got the promotion you were hoping for. Leaving you stuck at your current position for another year. Another year of typing away all day. Wonwoo notices this and asks whats wrong. You shrug and don’t say anything. You don’t really know what to say. He eyes you with a quizzical look.

After dinner, you clean up and leave to get ready for bed. You stepped back into the living room to find Wonwoo setting up your old easels you kept in the back room. You almost forgot you had them, it’s been so long since you’ve even touched a paint brush.

That was the thing with Wonwoo. He was always quiet so people kind of always had to guess what he was thinking. But even if he didn’t say much, he knew how to see right through another person. He always knew what to do.

You always wanted to be an artist. Wonwoo knew this since you were both in high school. You both had grand dreams. He would express his art on stage through music and dance. And you’d travel the world showcasing your paintings at museums and exhibits. But life had other plans. Your parents wanted you to have a stable income. And so, as Wonwoo moved forward with his artist dreams, you were stuck at some office pencil-pushing, filing paper after paper at a rate that seemed like there was no end. 

Wonwoo handed you a paintbrush. 

**Wonwoo:** Paint. It always made you felt better.

**You:** I don’t know if i can paint anymore. Even if i did, I wouldn't know what to.

**Wonwoo:** You wouldn’t know if you try! Come on, I’ll join you.

You both settled on a sunset. You found yourself at a comfortable pace and as color after color filled your canvas, you found yourself coming back to life. Wonwoo put on some music and at some point, you both were dancing while splattering paint at each other. When you walked over to his easel to inspect his painting, you had to hold onto your stomach after it hurt so much from laughing. As charismatic and fierce he was on stage, it certainly didn’t translate onto canvas. To put it nicely, Wonwoo had the painting skills of a 3 year old. And that’s putting it nicely. 

**Wonwoo:** Hey stop laughing! This is, what did you call it again, Abstract!!! It takes a lot of artistic vision to think of this.

**You:** oh Wonwoo, I think your “artistic vision” needs glasses. 

You spent the next few hours trying to finish your painting while trying to dodge Wonwoo’s tickling attacks. 

After you finish, you step back to view your work. You had to admit, even after all this time, you still got it. 

**Wonwoo:** You have to let me buy this. This belongs in a museum somewhere. I’ll have this framed and send it off as soon as the sun rises! It’s too beautiful for only my eyes to see.

You never were good at taking compliments but you know if they were coming from Wonwoo, they were sincere. He puts an arm around your shoulder and you wrap your arms around him.

**Wonwoo:** You know, it’s not too late. And besides, you’re old enough, I’m sure your parents can’t fight you if you want to pursue your dreams. Even if they do, I’ll be here to fight with you. Your life shouldn’t always be this stagnant. Let’s stir it up a bit!

You hold on to him a little tighter. Wonwoo felt strong, stable. When everything in this world went crazy, he was always there standing still, ready to catch you if you fall. When you lost all hope, he never left your side. When everyone said you couldn't do it, Wonwoo was there shoving a paintbrush in your face, doing it with you.

You stand on your tippy toes and give him a kiss on the cheek. If his cheeks weren’t splattered with paint, you were sure they’d be bright red. You talk a little bit more and you realize then and there that it was time. You made plans to resign as soon as you get into work tomorrow and go canvas and art supply painting together as soon as you get off work. He wanted to bring along your painting and visit a bunch of galleries and you almost had to beg him not to, eventually on settling on displaying it in your apartment for now. A reminder of new beginnings, you said. 

You tidy up the space, careful to get every spot of paint off the floor lest you risk your landlord never giving your security deposit back. Wonwoo goes back to his game and you take a spot next to him on the floor. He shuffles closer to you and you lean your head on his shoulder and watch him fight demon after demon. Slowly, you fall asleep and feel yourself being lifted off the ground and tucked in your bed. Moments later, he joins you and you eventually fall deeper into sleep, dreaming of sunsets, galleries, and the man who makes your world colorful.

* * *

**Woozi**

It happens every time it rains. 

You just got home after another late night of working over time, head swimming with deadlines to catch and another scolding from your boss for something you didn’t do. You were already doing the work of three people after several people from your team resigned; you cant say you blame them. On top of this, you still have bills to pay and medicines to buy for your mom. You want to resign too but you know in your heart you need this job just to stay afloat.

The thoughts and worries you carry in your head almost always weighed down heavier in your heart and you find yourself crying yourself to sleep many nights. That was until you met Jihoon.

You met him at your best friend's wedding. Your friend was the bride and he was the groom's best friend. He was silent, brooding, a stark contrast to the bright pocket of sunshine his best friend was. He sat in a corner of the wedding hall. “Careful, he found out his girlfriend of 3 years was cheating on him about a year ago. He might not be ready to talk yet. It was a miracle we managed to drag him out.”, your friend whispers to you when she notices you staring. 

You’ve been there, you thought. 

It happened when it was raining. 

You were just leaving work when it started to rain. It was pouring way too hard to drive safely so you thought you’d drop by your boyfriend's workplace to surprise him and take him out to dinner. His office was quite a walk away but beats driving in this weather. You walk with giddy steps, even if the weather was gloomy. You can’t wait to see his face when he sees you surprise him. You didn’t know you were the one being surprised that day.

There he was, in a nearby cafe, his hands wrapped around another girl. Guess he was waiting out the rain as well. He kisses her cheek and you feel your heart sink. You stand there for a while, unsure of what to do. So you ran the other way. 

You didn’t care that the ground was soaking wet or that you still hadn't changed out of your work heels. You slipped and your heel got caught in a drain. It snapped off and you just sat there on the wet ground, eyes soaked with tears and half a broken shoe. Suddenly you felt the rain above you stop and saw that someone was holding an umbrella over you. Your teary eyes made it hard for you to see and on top of that, the stranger was wearing a cap and mask. He took off his jacket and draped it over your shoulders. You couldn’t hear over the rain but you could make out certain words and assumed he was asking you if you were okay. You nodded and he asked if you had anywhere to go. You mindlessly asked if he could just escort you to your car and without hesitation, he took you by the arm and, by your whispered instructions, led you back to your car. He stood there for a while and stayed until he saw you safely drive out of your parking slot. You slowly drive away and watch him grow smaller through the side mirror. It didn’t occur to you to grab his name and number to thank him and return his jacket. Even if it was soaked in rain, it still smelled faintly of fabric softener. You hung it in on a hanger and shoved it in the back of your closet as soon as you got home, making a mental note to attempt to find him and return it to him again someday.

You snap back to reality when you hear glasses clink. Your best friend was now officially married to the man of her dreams. You watch her walk away down the aisle and to the rest of her future, a tear escaping from your own eyes. She was the one who helped you pick up the pieces, helped you pack your exes things into boxes, and together with her now-husband, dumped it all in front his house and threatened to kill him the moment he even attempts to see you. 

It felt better now but when rain starts to pour, it all comes flowing back.

Everyone starts filing out the wedding hall when you see him still sitting there, unmoving like a statue. By some stroke of courage, you find yourself walking over to him and talking to him.

**You:** You know if you stay here any longer, they’ll have to charge your friend for overstaying guests.

You flash him a smile, unsure of how to act. Everyone else was still walking on eggshells and here you were, running on them. 

He looks up at you and now that you’re this close, you could see he was crying. 

**Jihoon:** Oh. okay sorry I didn't notice it was over.

You almost feel pity for him but decided that it was the last thing he needed; he must've gotten heaps of it by now. You remember this time last year when your friends and coworkers would look at you with such sad eyes and speak to you in such pitiful tones, as if they were afraid that one wrong word would send you into a spiral. You hated it more than anything. 

You held out your hand and gave him your brightest smile.

**You:** You know if you’re gonna brood, at least save your friend a few overstay fees. This wedding must've cost a fortune. Come on, I know a cheaper place you can brood at. 

He scoffs at your comment but takes your hand anyways. You lead him to a nearby 24 hour cafe and you both spend the rest of the night talking about anything and everything. Before you both knew it, the sun was rising and the next day’s batch of early risers started filing in for their daily dose of caffeine. You both take a while to marvel at the sun rising through the blinds and decide it’s best to probably head home now. You both bid goodbye in front of the cafe, but not without exchanging numbers of course. You walk away towards separate directions with a newfound skip in your step. 

You saw each other almost every day after that. In just two months you found yourselves melting into each others circles. He took you to check out his studio and meet his members. He would get jealous every time you ruffle Chan’s hair and you would always laugh at how cute it was when he huffed. You took him to one of your company dinners and he’d take a shot every time your coworkers would ask him if he wanted to date you. He would never give him an answer but the blush in his cheeks were enough to know. A month later, it was official. You were in your living room watching a movie and he just casually dropped the question. You didn’t know what to say at first. But the blush in your cheeks were enough to know. 

What followed next, i’ll leave it up to your imagination.

Now you were almost 10 months in and things couldn’t be any better. You both were healing slowly, but together. You still haven’t talked much about his ex but he hasn’t asked about yours either so it felt weird to be the first one to initiate.

He was your safe space, the sunshine after the rain. Even now when you were worried about your mom, worried if you could still keep up with your job, if you still had the energy to even fix yourself a meal, you hold on to these memories to keep you sane and thank the lucky stars you had the gall to walk up to him that day.

You make it in just in time. The minute you step into your apartment, the rain starts to pour like there’s no tomorrow. You flinch, forcing down the unwanted memories. For a minute, you contemplate calling Jihoon over but he just finished 10 hours of practice and was probably now holed up in his studio, finishing up another round of deadlines in time for the year-end music festivals and awards show performances coming up. You set down your phone on your bedside table, curl up under the sheets, and force yourself to think of happy thoughts.

You put some music in the hopes that it’ll help but all you could think of was that fateful day. You curse at yourself for thinking of it still. You had Jihoon now and he makes you happier than your ex ever did. Still, it wasn’t him per se that makes you mad. It’s the betrayal, the hurt, the months of hating yourself that makes you want to lash and and scream. You were sure you no longer love your ex but you hate what it made you into. As much as you didn’t want to enter that realm of self-deprecation, the darkness brings you to it. You decide you can’t take it and cautiously send him a text. You’re not sure if and when he’ll read it but even letting him know relaxes you a little bit. 

After an hour of tossing and turning, you decide you had enough and get up to make yourself a cup of tea. Just as you were about to reach for a mug, Jihoon runs into your apartment soaking wet and tracking mud stains all over your kitchen floor. You stare at him, unsure of how to react and suddenly burst into laughter. You grab a mop as he tries to catch his breath. It’s obvious he’s been running. 

**You:** Well, I guess the floor did need a good cleaning anyways.

**Jihoon:** I’m sorry I read your text late. The signal in the studio sucks. But I ran all the way over here as soon as I read it. Are you okay?

You help him take off his jacket and hang it in your laundry room to dry. You wrap him in the biggest hug.

**You:** You’re here. That’s all that matters. 

He returns your hug and even though his clothes are still a little bit damp, you could feel his warmth radiate through your whole body. 

**You:** You didn’t have to come. I just wanted you to know. I know you’re super busy and you must be real tired as well. I don’t want to keep you from missing your deadlines.

**Jihoon:** Shhhh it’s alright. They know where I am. It’s fine. It can wait one more day. What matters now it’s you.

You scoff because you know for a fact that it’s not fine. He’ll probably have to work double time tomorrow just to get everything done. But you know arguing is futile when it comes to Jihoon. 

**You:** At least let me find something for you to change into. If you get a cold and get sick during this time, Seungcheol might just murder me. 

You walk into your bedroom to see if you still have a hoodie or oversized tee of his stored somewhere. You dig through piles of unfolded laundry and you come across an old treasure. You take out the jacket that kind stranger lent you that night you found your ex cheating on you. You smile as you reminisce. Who knows what might've happened to you or what state you would've been in now if that stranger didn't take pity on you and helped you get back to your senses. You never did get around to finding that stranger. So many things have happened since and Jihoon makes you so happy that you always forget how sad that night made you feel. Speaking of Jihoon, he enters your room and sees you holding up the jacket. He has this face thats equal looks of confusion and shock. You’re puzzled as to why he looks like he’s seen a ghost.

**Jihoon:** W-Why do you have that jacket?

You tell him the story of how this jacket came into your possession and he has to sit on your bed to steady himself.

**You:** Jihoon! Are you okay?? Are you dizzy? Are you sick already? Oh my god the boys are gonna kill you. Right after they kill me for getting you sick. Wait here I’ll go grab you some medicine.

You were about to leave the room when he grabs your hand. You stare back at his fist grabbing your wrist and tilt your head slightly.

**You:** Are you okay? What’s going on Jihoon, you’re starting to scare me.

Jihoon grabs the jacket and reaches into an inner pocket that you never noticed before. He pulls out a receipt. The ink has started to fade but you could still make out the words on it. He shows you the receipt and you see it’s for a convenience store. The only purchase made was an umbrella. but the signature on the card receipt was what made you do a double take. Written in squiggly letters was a signature you spent so many hours before being signed on CD after CD. Jihoon’s signature, bright as day stared back at you, stuffed in a jacket you had all this time, way before the first time you met him. or when you thought was the first time.

**Jihoon:** It was you? After all this time.

You both stand in the middle of the room trying to make sense of the situation. After all this time, you didn’t have to find the owner of the jacket after all. You already found him. He found you. 

He sits you on your bed and tells you his side of that night. He was walking by that area that night after meeting up with a few high school friends when it started pouring. Luckily he brought a jacket so he could at least shield himself. But then he ran into you and something inside of him knew he needed to help. He rushed into the nearest convenience store, bought an umbrella, and ran back out to you. He took off his jacket and put it on you, thinking what little protection and warmth he had could help you calm down. He helped you get back to your car and made sure you at least made it safely out onto the road before he headed off again. It was his favorite jacket but if he could help comfort a random stranger, it was worth giving it up. As he was about to leave the parking lot, that’s when he saw his then-girlfriend, walking out of a coffee shop in the arms of another man. She smiled at him the way he used to smile at her. As much as he tried, that image was ingrained so clearly in his mind. And every time it rained, it popped up so clearly in his mind. He was never a very outwardly expressive person so it took a long while for him to get over her. He was planning to marry her. That’s why he was crying at his friend’s wedding. He was actually planning to go back to her that day and beg for her to choose him again when you interrupted his thoughts and held your hand out. He looked up and he says the minute he saw your face he knew. He knew you were just what he needed. 

You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. 

**You:** Hold on. The cafe you saw them walking out of that night. Was it Cafe Pledis?

Jihoon looked at you with his brows furrowed.

**Jihoon:** Are you psychic?? Are you actually my sasaeng fan?? Were you stalking me all this time?

You playfully hit his arm and dug under your bed for your high school yearbook. You flipped to a page and pointed to a picture of your ex.

**You:** Did the guy she was with look anything like him?

**Jihoon:** That’s him!!! That loser. how many times i wished I should've walked up to them and just punched him straight up. But wait, why do you know what he looks like? Why is he in your yearbook? You knew all this time and didn’t tell me. 

You let out the biggest laugh as he stared at you, confused and frustrated. You told him your story. Of why you were sprawled on the pavement crying that night. Of why the rain makes you cry and why your thoughts turn dark when it does. 

You realize now that Jihoon was like that too. Whenever he held you when you’d cry on rainy days, he would cry too. How he always stayed in his studio, blocking out the sounds. Why he always preferred writing summery, sunny songs. He was hurt by the rain too. 

You lie down side by side and let it all out. You remark on how funny it is that your exes cheated on you both with each others exes. How you coped better than he probably has, seeing the state he was the first time you met him. You spend the rest of the night letting all your feelings out. About how his writer’s block was frustrating him, how his back has started to hurt after the continuous practices (you make a mental note to inform Seungcheol about this even if Jihoon would get mad at you about it), and how he feels bad that Junhui has been making him meals all the time because he always loses track when he’s in the studio and forgets to eat. You tell him about your stupid boss, demanding a raise, and your worries about your mom’s health. You ended up talking all through the night and just like the first time you met, the sun slowly creeps up on you both in the middle of your conversation. You stare at him, shining under the early morning sunlight, enthusiastically talking about the remix he made for the awards shows performances they have coming up. He stares back at you when he realizes you stopped talking.

**Jihoon:** Are you okay? Anything bothering you?

Even if it was still a bit chilly outside, you feel his warmth. You feel at home in his arms. You give him a quick kiss and bury yourself deeper in his chest.

**You:** Nothing. I’m just glad I met you when I did.

He pulls you in closer and you could feel him smile. His phone rings a few minutes later. The boys are looking for him as practice was due to start in an hour. He groans but you pull out of bed anyways. You had him to yourself for far too long already. You had to get ready to get to work yourself anyways. He makes promises to come back after the practice, to invite you to dinner with the boys soon, and to visit your mom in the hospital before things get too busy. You walk him to the door and with a final hug and a kiss goodbye, he walks away. You close the door behind him and melt down to the floor. 

You sit as the sun bathes your living room in warm sunlight, as if sending a message. “There’s always sunshine after rain” 

You walk back to your bedroom and pick up the jacket you dropped on the floor and smile as you put it back up in your closet. You smile knowing the rain no longer will bother you from now on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also I know the section title is their stage name but I call them by their real name in the story. I just thought if Y/N was dating the member, they'd be calling them by their actual name.


	4. 1_3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 1:
> 
> Coming home after a long day
> 
> Part2: '97 line

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Left&Right is such a bop! Keep streaming and support the boys in any way you can!
> 
> Thank you for following my stories so far :) Enjoy!

**The8**

*Click* *click*

You look up, startled to see Minghao standing only a few feet away from the doorway, his polaroid camera aimed at you. He always did this, taking random pictures of you doing mundane everyday things. Washing the dishes, cleaning the balcony, playing with your cats; he would always snap away when he thought you weren’t looking. On a normal day you wouldn’t mind, but today wasn’t just any normal day. 

You worked so hard at set, breaking your back and kissing up to producers just to move up a rank. It’s been two years since you became an assistant writer and you were dying for the chance to produce your own drama. But script after script just kept being rejected, shoved in favor for one that would make more money, another cookie-cutter type drama. Each script took you months to write and each one left you so proud so to have them tossed aside just like that killed you a little bit on the inside. Today marked the 10th time a script of yours was rejected. 

The polaroid develops and as blurry it was, you could make out the bags under your eyes and the wrinkles around your eyes that were begging to get some care. Minghao seemed to notice the distress and quickly snatched it from your hands and shoved it in his pocket. He took your bags and pushed you towards the kitchen and tried to get you to eat the dinner he just spent an hour making. 

You didn’t have much of an appetite but you forced yourself to eat a few bites. Minghao rarely cooked but he must've known it was going to be a bad day for him to do this. It was good and tasted slightly familiar. He must've asked help from Mingyu. The thought of the two yelling at each other over an open stove made you grin. 

**Minghao:** How is it? I tried my very best I swear.

**You:** It’s good Hao. It really is, I’m just not in a mood to eat much. I’m sorry.

**Minghao:** It’s okay, we can always eat the rest tomorrow. Go ahead and get changed. I have to show you something.

You made your way to your bedroom and changed into your favorite fluffy pajamas, thinking the warmth might lift your mood enough to last the rest of the night. You walk out to the living room to find Minghao hunched over a large scrapbook that looks like it’s seen better days. He just finished adding a polaroid when he lifted his head and motioned for you to join him. He handed the scrapbook to you and you flipped through it. Inside were all the polaroids he took of you ever since you started dating. Each one had a small description or story written next to it. 

The one of you washing the dishes had “She washes the dishes thinking of her next kill. This agent always had to be on her toes, ready to run to the scene of action at any time.”

The one of you cleaning the balcony: “As the last of the crime scene was whisked away, she leaves behind a life of secrecy and starts anew. What lies next for our heroine? Who knows.”

The one with her cats read: “She arms herself against the fierce feline. Sword in hand, she was ready to fight to death if that’s what it took to protect her people.”

The newest polaroid, the one he took tonight read: “Our fearless warrior is back from battle, having slain the enemy, the people welcome her back with open arms.” 

You read through each description carefully, each one with a one line story. It was like reading a thousand stories all at once, each one centered around her. Minghao watches you with fascinated eyes.

**Minghao:** I’m not good at writing anything longer than a few sentences. I’m not as good as you. But you are my leading lady and through your eyes, I see a thousand stories waiting to happen. I heard your script got rejected again and honestly, shame on them for not knowing better. Your stories always amazed me, it baffles me how you could think of the wildest stories. So I hope today doesn’t discourage you. Someday, there’ll be a producer who’ll see your story for all of what it’s worth. 

You feel your eyes welling up with tears and you throw yourself in his arms. He holds on to you tight and gently strokes your hair. You knew in your heart he was right. You had a thousand more prompts and scripts to write and you couldn’t stop now. Tomorrow you were going to march back into the office and fire away at a new one.

You look into his eyes and see all the stories you have together just waiting to happen. And you couldn’t wait to write them.

* * *

**Mingyu**

You were always a picky person.

You hate vegetables and always ate food in separate plates so the sauces never mixed together. Your parents were always frustrated at this but Mingyu never minded. You grew up next door to each other and you would always end up going to each other’s houses during meals. He grew accustomed to how you eat and never really questioned it. Your parents were worried he would catch your habit but you were always glad to report that he is very much a sauce mixer. You had all his Vlives to prove it to her. 

When you two started dating, he would set and divide the food into separate plates for you before you even had the chance to do it for yourself. It always made you feel better. It saved you time; something you ran out of very quickly these days.

You were now dragging your feet home after your 4th straight day of working overtime on set. Variety shows never really had set times and were horribly unpredictable. Your body clock was all over the place and what made it worse was craft services. Since everything was made to be eaten on the go and in a rush, there was no time to carefully separate everything. You only could grab one and that was what you had to power you up for the whole day. Whenever someone asked you why you were eating so little, you just said you were on a diet. You didn’t have the heart to tell them the real reason lest you risk becoming the laughing stock of the whole variety department.

You were thankful for the few times Mingyu came over and cooked for you because you knew that part was already taken care of, and he never judges you for it.

You slam the door open, starved and exhausted, and ran straight for the kitchen. Mingyu was already there, setting up the dinner table with an amused grin on his face.

**Mingyu:** Go freshen up, give me a few minutes to separate everything.

You rambled on during dinner, telling him everything that happened on set. You told him about who lost, who won, the funny moments on set; all while expertly moving your chopsticks through the different plates. He laughed back and told you how he was going to tease a member of the group that guested when he saw them. You really shouldn’t be telling him what happened before the episode aired but you needed to let off some steam and knew Mingyu knew enough about non-disclosure contracts to shut up just until the show aired. You finished and brought the stack of plates to the sink and washed plates together. What started off as washing dishes became a full on water fight and before you knew it, your floor was drenched with water and dish soap. It took a while for you to clean without playing around but you both eventually found yourself curled up on the sofa under an extra large blanket watching that night’s episode of the variety show you were currently working on. He made little comments about how this celebrity is funnier off camera or how this game could be better with a few adjustments. You thought about inviting him to be a guest someday but knew how nervous he gets in front of you. He would have just ended up losing every game. 

The show ended and he immediately got up to clear the table of the snacks you guys ate. After a long day you were grateful for the extra set of hands. Especially if those hands were attached to someone as thoughtful as Mingyu. You look at him carefully segregating your trash and thank the lucky stars you grew up next to someone who never once judged your decisions. He stayed, always supporting and would always be the first one to help you in anything you do. You were grateful someone tolerated your personality and was always patient enough to understand you. 

He joined you back on the couch and let you rant on and on about all the deadlines you had left to do. He listened attentively and answered your questions when needed. He never let you feel you were being annoying and answered with just as much enthusiasm as you. You look up to his face and thank the lucky stars out of all the people in this world, he was the one you grew up next to.

You were always a picky person. But that only meant you knew for sure what you needed.

* * *

**DK**

It happens. Life happens. But it doesn’t mean it hurts any less.

You stood there in the middle of the operating room as your patient flat-lined on the operating table. Your first death. Your professor tries to comfort you, telling you that only one death after a whole year of doing solo surgeries was a feat to be proud of. But you still couldn’t accept it. You knew in your heart that you did your best. You were given the rest of the day off to help you shake it off. 

You took the bus home, knowing you weren’t in the right state to drive right now. On the way back, your phone rang and saw that Seokmin was calling. You paused to collect yourself before answering the call. He talks in high-pitched excited tones. He tells you that his group just got another win and Jihoon had to carry him on his shoulders as a first-place promise. You knew Jihoon wasn’t too happy about it but Seokmin was talking about it like it was the best thing to have ever happened to him. He asked you about your surgery and if it went well. You had to bite your lip to stop from crying. You didn’t have the heart to dampen his good spirits now. 

Just then, the bus reached the next stop and the announcement played over the speakers

**Seokmin:** Huh? You’re on the bus already? That was a fast surgery! But wait didn’t you bring a car to work today? And aren’t you on night shift? Where are you headed off to this early in the day? 

You couldn’t give a single word in response. You knew he could sense that you were just about to burst into tears and before he could ask any more questions, you bid him a quick goodbye with a promise to talk more later. You dropped the call and allowed yourself to quietly sob. People stared but they didn’t ask. You were sitting, tears silently dropping, still wearing your doctors gown so people could only assume the worst has happened. You see an old lady flash you a reassuring smile as she exits the bus at her stop and you have to admit, it made you feel a bit better. 

You reach home and immediately dive under the covers. More than anything, you just wanted the day to be done with. You slowly drifted off to sleep when hours later, you were being slowly awakened. You turned to see who was shaking you awake when you came face-to-face with Seokmin and his gorgeous smile. He was still in full stage makeup but now in more comfortable clothes.

**Seokmin:** Hi there! You slept the whole afternoon haven’t you? You’re still in work clothes so I can only assume you fell asleep as soon as you got back. Which also means you haven’t eaten lunch. Don’t worry though, pizza’s on it’s way! I should’ve probably asked you what flavor you wanted to eat but I got too excited and didn’t want to wake you. 

He was still smiling at you and even if you spent hours crying in your sleep, your heart felt lighter. You felt yourself melting in his eyes. You got up and allowed him to help you to the living room. He sat you down on the couch and got you a glass of water. He never pushed or asked you but you knew he was dying to know what was happening.

The pizza arrived not long after and you immediately attacked it. Between the two of you, the pizza disappeared in just 10 minutes.

**Seokmin:** Wow. Someone’s hungry. You usually don’t eat that fast. Anything up?

You were feeling a bit better and now that you had food in your stomach, you felt it was okay to talk about it now. Without getting into the more bloody details, you took him through the surgery. You weren’t too sure if he understood everything you said but he listened intently and listened to every word coming out of your mouth. By the end of it, he was the crying mess while you just sat there, having bared out the worst day of your life. He hugged you and stroked your hair.

**You:** It’s fine Seok. I’ll get over it. I still have to face my patient’s family tomorrow so I have to practice what to say when they ask for me to detail what happened to them. Thanks for letting me practice on you.

**Seokmin:** I’m sorry for acting so hyper on the phone earlier. If only I knew just how bad you were feeling I should’ve kept quiet. 

**You:** It’s okay. I love hearing how excited you are about something. And a 7th straight win really is something to be over the moon about. Can’t say the same about Jihoon’s shoulders though. Remind me to send you back with a few medicated patches. 

He laughs and brings you closer to him. He gives you his biggest line before giving you a sweet peck on the lips. 

**Seok:** I’m glad you feel a bit better. I’m sorry you lost a patient today but I hope it doesn’t bring you down a lot. You still saved countless lives and those count a lot as well. Keep going okay? Keep saving lives.

He flashes you another one of his killer eyes and once again, you’re melting in his eyes. 

It happens. Life happens. But it hurts less when you have Seokmin walking through it with you. 


	5. 1_4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 1:
> 
> Coming home after a long day
> 
> Part4: Maknae line

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I apologize for the super long hiatus :(( A lot of personal problems suddenly popped up so I wasn't able to write for a while. But I'm back and things are better now! Hopefully I'll be able to update more often now. :) This is the last chapter for this prompt and I'll be starting with a new one soon! :) If you have any prompts/themes/storylines you want me to try feel free to leave them in the comments. Thank you very much for reading and I hope you all are well! :)

** Seungkwan **

Another failed exam. just great. no matter how hard you studied, you just couldn't get the results you wanted. The actual bar exams were in a couple of months and your progress was moving along at a snail’s pace. You sigh and say a silent apology to all the lives you could’ve saved. Discouraged, you decided it was best to just leave the library and head back home. 

You came home only to find out the power was out. You check your phone and you realize. It’s the 30th. You forgot to pay the power bills again. Even if you were to pay it now, it would take a whole 12 hours before the power was reactivated. Great. Just great. 

You enter the kitchen and find yourself staring face to face into an empty pantry; You curse at yourself for forgetting to do the groceries again. And just when you think things couldn't get any worse, your phone is at 7% 

The silence was deafening and the cold weather didn’t make things any better. Still, you were too exhausted to do anything and plopped down onto the foot of your bed. You send a quick text to Seungkwan before your phone dies, telling him that it would probably be best to call off your movie night as your power is out and you knew how easily he gets cold. 

You crawl under your sheets, too exhausted to even try to go anywhere else, and fall asleep. You wake up a few hours later to a dim glow coming from your open bedroom door. you step out carefully into the living room to see candles all around the living room. Seungkwan stood in the middle of it all, carefully putting guards around each one to prevent stray flares from catching onto flammable areas. 

**Seungkwan:** Oh you’re awake! Come sit, I was just about to order food. Also I saw the unpaid electric bills on the table and went ahead and paid for them for now. Knowing you, you probably wouldn’t have paid it until you woke up which means you'd spend tomorrow night in the cold too. 

That was Seungkwan for you, where you were disorganized and chaotic, he brought balance by constantly micromanaging and organizing. He would fill in the blanks and catch you every time you fall. You in turn would always be the one to calm him down when he’d start to panic and teach him to let loose a little. The dynamic between you became sort of a ying-and-yang situation, everything just fell into place.

**Seungkwan:** Oh yea! Today was your mock exam wasn’t it! How’d it go?

He stared at your solemn face, knowing what it meant.

**Seungkwan:** You know grades aren’t everything. Plus it was just a mock exam anyway! There’s still time before the actual exam. If you want I’ll join you in your study sessions! Make sure that mind of yours doesn’t wander off again.

You manage to force a chuckle and sit on the floor next to him, snuggling into the crook of his neck.

**You:** I think I’m finally done trying. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. I mean I can’t be the only person in the world who’s bad at what they want to do. Mom was right. I can’t be a lawyer. What was I thinking. 

You feel his head rest against yours as he gently strokes your back. Suddenly everything you were trying so hard to hold in was threatening to burst out. You do your best to hold back your tears but he can feel you struggling to do so. He gently pulls your legs across his lap and cradles you. You curl up against his chest and gently sob. He sings to you softly, like he wanted you and only you to hear his song. Your tears fall at once, staining the front of his shirt. Still, he continues his song while stroking your back. He sings the song over and over again until you finally calm down.

**Seungkwan:** I’m not sure if I told you this story but back then, when they were finalizing the final debut lineup, I was almost sure I wouldn’t make it. There was always someone better at dancing, better at rapping, funnier, someone who fit the part more than I did. But I wanted it so bad, the desperation almost drove me mad. I wanted to run away so bad but just when I was about to quit, Seungcheol hyung sat me down, looked me straight in the eye and told me: “Seungkwan-ah. Hang in there. We need you here with us. You’ll make it, just believe us. If you can’t do it for yourself, if you can’t do it for us, do it for that one person somewhere out there who needs your voice to calm them down. Do it for that one person who might be saved by the songs you sing. Somewhere out there, that one person will need you and your voice to save them.” Whenever I felt like all hope was lost, I just took a deep breath and thought of that one person. There was someone out there I needed to save. Now we get messages of encouragement every day, messages of all the people who’s lives we made just a little bit brighter.

He looked at me and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

**Seungkwan:** There's people out there who need your saving too. Someday, you’ll stand in court and defend an innocent person from their abuser. You’ll watch as a mother cries after hearing that her daughter’s murderer gets their rightful punishment. You’ll hold the hand of a life you not only made brighter, but one that you might’ve literally brought back to life. So think of that one. You already want it, we all know how much you want to help bring justice. You’re already halfway there. Just a little bit more okay? Don’t worry. I’ll be right here, walking beside you. 

You look up to him, his own eyes slowly starting to tear up. In his eyes you see the fire that never has burned out. You saw him spend night after night practicing the same dance routine, you listened to him when he cried his heart out after not making the debut team for the second time. You listened to him when he cried his heart out when he made it in for the third. You saw him take his debut stage, the group’s first win, sat front row at their first sold out concert. You saw it all and walked with him. And here he was doing the exact same thing for you.

That’s when you knew. That you were the one. The one he needed to save.

So on a cold, rainy night, with nothing but a living room full of candles, you dove back into your review materials. Illuminated with the fire to save that One while the One that saved you slowly starts to fall asleep on your couch. 

You look back at him, at his eyes with the fire that never burned out. It warmed you and sent flames striking down your body. With a determined smile and a few soft kisses, you set yourself back on track.

* * *

**Vernon**

It was just one of those days. 

Not only did you manage to mix up contracts for two different clients, trip and spilled food in front of the entire cafeteria, but on the one day you felt nice enough to wear white pants, your monthly visitor decided to drop by. 

On the way home, you slipped and stepped into a puddle causing you to drop a months worth of paperwork into the same puddle, and as you bent down to pick up the now soggy paperwork, a car drove by and soaked you to the bone.

You enter your apartment with water dripping down your hair. You toss your soaking wet hoodie onto the floor and make a mental note to mop it all up later. Your backpack slips off from your shoulders and lands on the floor with a thud. Your shoes fly off your feet as you kick them with frustration and drag yourself into the living room. You bury your face in a pillow and scream until your throat goes raw. When you lift your face you see Hansol staring back down at you with a questioning look on his face.

**You:** Hansol how long have you been standing there?

**Vernon:** Since your backpack hit the floor over there. 

You grunt and stuff your face back into the pillow, determined to shut out the rest of the world in favor of sulking in the darkness again. It almost became routine to keep messing up. Usually when Vernon would visit he’d talk and pester you nonstop; a far cry from his usual non-expressive self.But he could sense something was different today. You haven’t told him about the day but the tears slowly staining your couch didn’t need much explanation. 

You started sobbing, mind bogged down by frustration and exhaustion. The day’s events started taking a toll and the wall you put up slowly started to break down.

Vernon sat down on the floor next to you and gently held your hand. He traced circles around the back of your palm until your sobs died down You stayed like that for almost an hour before he tried to get you to eat dinner. Your stomach growled and you silently let him guide you to the dinner table

You were still in a bad mood when you left to freshen up. after changing you left your bedroom, determined to kick him out so you could wallow in despair in isolation. But what greeted you was this wide array of mismatched blankets strung over strategically placed chairs and hangers around your living room. 

Vernon crawled out from what you assume was his version of a blanket fort and you couldn’t help but chuckle. As artistic as Vernon was he was never the best at constructing things. still, you gave in and crawled in after him. inside the blanket fort he set up his laptop, an array of your favorite chips, and enough sodas yo give you both diabetes. 

you spent the night like that, under a strange array of blankets, curled up against each other watching episode after episode of star trek until eventually you feel Vernon falling asleep next to you. You look up at him, careful not to stir him awake, his soft brown hair nestled against the sofa. One of his arms is draped around your waist and the other serves as your pillow. He looks as peaceful as he does when he’s asleep. 

it was just one of those days again but you thank the stars you found someone to make these days worth it.

* * *

**Dino**

Whoever thought of shooting at 3 in the morning on a Sunday of all days really should be in jail. It was only noon but you’re already exhausted running from waiting room to stage then back to the waiting room, reapplying makeup and fixing the girls’ outfits right up to the point were they had to literally step onto the stage. Just your luck, but somehow all three of the makeup artists failed to show up so you had to work double roles just to make sure the girls looked decent enough to perform on stage.

As soon as taping wrapped up, you left the job to the managers and literally had to drag yourself home. you almost fell asleep in the elevator when you were greeted by a smiling baby boy as soon as the lift reached your floor

**Dino:** Somebody’s late.

**Me:** Yea well if the others showed up and actually did their job maybe i’d actually have enough energy to drive but that definitely would've been an accident waiting to happen. 

Without even asking, he took your bags and almost had to drag you to your apartment. He keyed in the passcode and you hobbled your way into the living room and collapsed onto the sofa. 

**Dino:** You don’t have any food in your refrigerator

**Me:** Oh yea, I didn't have time to go to the grocery. I’ll go later when i have the energy to lift myself off of here.

**Dino:** You haven’t even eaten lunch haven't you? Alright I’m going next door and telling mom to whip up something quick. Stay right here!

**Me:** Where else would i even go?

Chan raced out the door and entered the adjacent apartment. You were childhood friends with Chan and when you moved out of your house to start your career, it was him who suggested that you moved into the apartment next door to his parents so you could at least have someone to run to in case of emergencies. You rarely see him anymore ever since he moved into the dorms but he made sure to visit you every time he’d visit his parents as well. His mom would pout saying that he visited you more than he visited her. He insisted back that that wasn't the case but the blush on his cheeks say otherwise. 

You always knew he liked you and you never really knew if he knew that you liked him back. It was just an unspoken thing between the two of you, neither having the guts to be the first one to admit. It was complicated, you were each other’s childhood best friend and with Dino shooting up into super stardom, dating would almost put his and the boys careers in jeopardy. Still, you were content with seeing him every Sunday, hanging out in your apartment and playing video games until you’d fall asleep just like when you were kids. When he was in the dorms you made sure to check in on his little brother for him and spend time with his mother. You were content with it, but you always thought to yourself just how long this contentment could last.

He came back a few minutes later with several containers filled with side dishes and enough rice to feed him and all his members.

**You:** Jeez chan, i only missed one day not a whole week. Did you rob your mother’s pantry or something

**Dino:** Pipe down and just eat.

After eating he just sat on the floor and proceeded to talk about his week. About what went on in the dorm, their shooting, their upcoming comebacks. 

You were happy to hear he was getting busier and checking off his bucket-list. but as his popularity grew you wondered where you fit in that equation.

**You:** Hey Chan. I have a something to say.

**Dino:** Yea? What is it?

**You:** Now that you're getting busier, don't get me wrong I'm happy for you, but don't force yourself to come back once a week just to see me okay. I know how much time you’re wasting just being with me when you could be practicing or reaching your dreams or whatnot. you're my best friend and I don't want to hold you back. 

Dino looked you in the eyes and gave you a light flick on the forehead. 

**Dino:** Don’t say that. you're not a waste of my time. When I told you of my dreams way back when we were kids, they were always with the idea that you were in it. You aren't holding me back, in fact you’re the total opposite. It was you who told me to go for the audition when I got cast. You were the one cheering me on during those hard trainee days when I felt like I couldn’t take it anymore. it was you who listened to my rants when all the hyungs were being frustrating. Without you I wouldn’t be where I am today. You’re pretty much the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

He says all this without while he was busy stocking my refrigerator with his mother’s side dishes. He speaks about it all in such a nonchalant and in his usual cool tone that you almost wonder if he was being sarcastic about it all. But you see, through the deep glow of the refrigerator light, his ears glowing a bright red.

**You:** Hey Chan look at me.

**Dino:** Not now, I’m busy.

You try your very best to stifle your laughter. He always does this when he feels shy or embarrassed. He turns away and pretends to be super busy and cool about the situation. Living with 12 older brothers who constantly try to embarrass him, this happens a lot. You wait until he puts the last container in and closes the door but even then he still couldn’t face you. 

**You:** So are you gonna go wash my non-existent pile of dishes or are you gonna face me and talk to me now.

He turns and you see his cheeks even redder than his ears. All at once, the laughter you were holding in bursts out.

**Chan:** Stop laughing! I was being serious!

But you can’t and you almost fall over the stool you were sitting on. He reaches for your arm to catch you from falling and suddenly you find yourself inches from his even-redder face. You both stay like that and suddenly he kisses you. You stand there, stunned. Unsure of what to do before you find yourself easing into the kiss and eventually kissing him back. After what seemed like an hour but was really just 5 minutes, he breaks the kiss. He stares at you and suddenly the little boy you grew up with disappears. He grew up and became a man before your very eyes. He tucks a strand of hair behind your eye and grins at you.

**Dino:** I really was being serious, you know. You really are the best that that’s ever happened to me.

You couldn’t stop yourself from smiling as you wrap your arms around his waist. And it all just clicks. This is where you fit. This is where you fit back then, this is where you fit now, and this is where you’ll fit forever. Wrapped in his arms like nothing else in the world matters. 

**You:** I know. And just in case you needed to know, so are you.

He gently caresses your face and kisses you once again. You spend the rest of the evening wrapped in each other’s arms, soft kisses and laughter in between. All the while, his ears still a bright red.


	6. 2_1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 2: 
> 
> Coworkers / Work Romance
> 
> Part 1: 95z

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting to delve a bit into a somewhat alternate universe. The previous prompt still put them in the realm of possibility of their current lives but this might have to mix things up and change careers. :) (Some of them might still be celebrities/idols) The stories/oneshots might be longer, my imagination has been going real wild these past few days. :O I hope you enjoy them nevertheless! :)

**S.Coups**

You were the only one who knew his secret. To everyone else in your team, he’s Cheol, the friendly marketing associate who sits next to you in your department. He’s Cheol who replaces the printer toner when it runs out and Cheol who’s always the first one to volunteer to go grab the pubmats from the press. 

But in reality he’s Choi Seungcheol, only son of the Choi Corporation. As in THE Choi corporation your advertising agency was under, and the only eligible heir to his family’s business.

You weren’t supposed to know. It just so happened that you two were the only one left in the office that night and you accidentally overheard his phone conversation with his father in the hallway. You weren’t technically allowed to be there, you were just trying to finish some things up and the wifi back at your place was dismal. He didn’t notice you hiding under your desk to avoid getting caught and listening in; to this day probably still doesn’t know. For now you feign ignorance and treat him like you do everyone else.

It was a particularly quiet day when your manager called the both of you into his office. A big client just signed on and if things go well, your agency could sign a five year contract with them. The problem was, the initial presentation was scheduled in only a couple of days. He needed someone who could get the job done quick but still in excellent quality so he chose the both of you to lead the project. You mentally groan knowing you will probably have to work overtime for the next few days and would probably have no sleep at all. Beside you Seungcheol agrees readily and is already suggesting ideas. You think to yourself that if you have to go through this, at least it was with someone who knew what they were doing. 

The day sped by, filled with meetings upon meetings, just trying to get deliverables done in time for the presentation. As the day came to a close, your team members left one-by-one until it was just the two of you left. You bury your head in your hands as you get ready for another night of editing and paperwork. You ruffle your hair in frustration when you feel a tap on your shoulder and see Seungcheol peering over at you.

**Seungcheol:** Uh hey, it’s been a long day and I feel like it’s going to be an even longer night. Why don’t we take a break for a while and go refuel. There’s a new burger joint across the street I’ve been dying to try!

Almost on cue, your stomach grumbles and you cover your face before it glows red with embarassment.

**Seungcheol:** Sounds like a yes to me! Let me just go grab my things and I’ll meet you by the elevators!

In the brief walk it took to get from your office to the burger place across the street, you both learn about each other at a lightning pace. It’s funny how long you’ve been working together yet know so little. You tell him about your weird roommate and how her propensity to leave her laundry in random places around your apartment drives you mad. He tells you about his best friend and how excited he was for his EP to drop soon. You notice he stays vague about conversations that have to deal with family. You know he has a sister but that was about it. By the time you both are halfway through your meal, he knows you’re afraid of enclosed spaces and you know about how the sound of utensils clinking together drives him crazy. Almost instantly, you find yourself getting comfortable; a little bit too comfortable you think.

The walk back is light and breezy. You both joke around like you’ve known each other for years. It feels natural, almost as if it was meant to happen at some point. You’re in the elevator, only a few floors away from your office when the power suddenly cuts off. The elevator’s emergency lights immediately power on and you both stand still, as if one wrong move would send the large metal box you’re standing in plummeting several stories down. Seungcheol immediately rings the emergency bell and the voice on the other end assures you both that they’re working on getting the power back as soon as they can.

It hits you suddenly, like a sack of bricks was dropped on you. You start hyperventilating and all at once, you feel the walls slowly close in on you. You slump to the floor and Seungcheol tries to break your fall. His face is wracked with worry as he tries to calm you down as you slowly descend into a panic attack.

**Seungcheol:** It’s okay, Y/N. Everything’s going to be okay. They’re doing the best they can to get us out of here as quick as possible.

**You:** But what if they can’t? What if we’re stuck here forever or the elevator plummets and we get crushed. I can’t die yet, Cheol. I have dreams. I can’t even afford to die yet. Who’s going to take care of my parents when I pass?

**Seungcheol:** Hey, don’t say that. It—

**You:** Easy for you to say. I mean you own this building you probably don’t even have to think about those things. 

You realize what you just said and you look back at Seungcheol who’s equally as horrified as you are.

**You:** Cheol, I didn’t mean to. I swear I’m the only one who knows. Please don’t—

Before you could finish your sentence, the power turns back on and the elevator finally arrives at your floor. Without a word, Seungcheol helps you back up and you both exit the elevator.

**You:** Cheol I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I knew. I just—

**Seungcheol:** It’s late I think we should get back to work if we want to get out of here before the sun rises.

He looks at you with a soft smile but you know he’s just forcing it. You both wordlessly walk back to your desks and spend another hour of work in silence before you hear him slide beside you. 

**Seungcheol:** Look, I’m not mad. Just shocked, mostly. How’d you know? and for how long.

You told him everything, about the night you over heard his conversation with his dad, about how you hid so you wouldn’t get caught. You swore once again that you didn’t tell another living soul. He nods along and eventually, you’re convinced he believes you.

**Seungcheol:** Well I guess we better check under all the desks now to see if anyones listening in on our conversation.

He gives the same lighthearted chuckle that he always does when he jokes around and you know everything’s going to be okay again.

**Seungcheol:** Well I guess the secret’s out of the bag. And I have to say, it’s a relief not having to keep it all in all the time now. I’m glad out of all the people here it was you who found out. Wouldn’t trust anyone else with this secret I guess.

You feel your heart skip a beat and you pinch yourself to snap back into reality. 

**You:** It’s not my story to tell. But can I ask…why hide it though? It doesn’t seem like an embarrassing story to tell. It would certainly help not having our manager yell at us all the time. 

He takes a deep breath and tells you a rather detailed backstory of why he wanted to keep it a secret. It was his choice to start from the bottom and work his way up so that when he was ready, he would be able to take the seat from his father and everyone would know how capable he is for the job. He didn’t want it to just be handed to him.

**Seungcheol:** I wanted to work for it. I wanted it to be worth it. I didn’t want anyone to think I liked getting stuck in elevators for fun and didn’t have a care in the world ya know?

He teased and you made sure he saw your over-the-top eye rolling. 

**You:** I get it though, and for what it’s worth you’re doing a great job. Wouldn’t imagine anyone else better for the job!

Under the dim glow of your illuminated computer screens, you see his cheeks flush. You never noticed but when he smiled, the dimples on his face formed little crescent moons and his eyes sparkled like a clear night sky. You found yourself getting lost in them for a little bit.

**Seungcheol:** Thanks. It means a lot coming from you.

**You:** And what’s that supposed to mean?

**Seungcheol:** I mean there’s no one else that works harder than you in this team. Sitting beside you and working with you all these years really helped me learn a lot. Someday I’ll sit where my father sits and when people tell me what a great job I’ve been doing, I’d tell them it’s all thanks to you. 

You feel your cheeks warm and glow a bright red identical to his. You don’t notice just how long both of you just stare at each other, with nothing but the dim glow of your illuminate computer screens lighting up the room. 

Suddenly he’s not just Cheol, the friendly marketing associate who sits next to you. He’s Cheol the marketing associate who brings you lunch and Cheol who waits for you no matter how late you get out just to walk you home. He’s Cheol who takes you to your favorite amusement park even if you know how much he hates crowds and Cheol who holds your hand tight when the Roller Coaster you’re both on makes a sudden scary drop; though you’re not sure if that was for your reassurance or his. 

You’re sure your co-workers notice but between giggles and stares, they don’t say anything about you two. In their minds, they’re thanking how well this new found partnership is working out. Staying late at the office with the excuse that you two were going to “get a head-start on some deliverables” but in reality it was just so you could spend time together certainly gives them less things to do the next day. 

Over the years, you both achieve groundbreaking steps in your career until you finally see him assume his father’s position, with you as his Director. You straighten his tie as he prepares to take an interview for Forbes’ Top 30 under 30 list. You quiz him over and over again on the questions that might pop up and go over everything he should and probably shouldn’t say. He stares at you wordlessly as you go on and on about how the interview process and you look up and catch him flashing that cheeky grin at you. With a quick kiss, you send him off to his office to start the interview before any of you get even more distracted.

You watch him through the glass walls as he confidently answers the interviewer’s question. You stare at him as he talks and laughs with the interviewer when you catch his eye and he gives a smile. He points at you and you already know what he says.

“It’s her. I’m here because of her.” He gives you a wink and goes on with the interview. You continue watching him and notice both of you turn bright red, just like that night. Except now instead of the dim glow of your illuminated computer screens, you have the bright road ahead of you and your even brighter future together.

* * *

**Jeonghan**

It was supposed to be the greatest day of your life. 

Your boss complimented you for wrapping up your project fast and with praise from your client. He even gave you a bonus after your client signed on for several other projects after seeing how well you’ve done. Because of this, you were instantly promoted and your boss told you HR was already working on assembling you a star team. 

It’s going to be hard but this is exactly what you wanted and where you wanted to be. Things started to look up and you left work that day with an extra giddy step in your stride. You spent the next week after that setting up your new office and getting your briefing materials ready. It was the first time you’d be in charge of a whole team and as much as it made you nervous, it was the most exciting moment of your life.

Monday rolled in and you arrived extra early. You entered your office and saw that 4 out of the 5 people in your team were already setting up their cubicles, waiting for you. Since it was so early, you invited them out to breakfast to get to know them better. 

You took an instant liking to all of them. Even if you were in charge of them, they were only a few years younger than you. The youngest, Chan, was 4 years younger than you but a whole head taller. This became a running joke between the two of you for the rest of breakfast. The walk back to the office was filled with laughter and you were thanking the heavens for giving you such a great team. As soon as you got back, everyone was briefed on their deliverables for the day and they quickly left to accomplish them. You noticed that the last team member was late. It was only 30 minutes past the time he was supposed to clock in and considering it was his first day, you decided to cut him some slack. You walk back to your office, coffee in hand, checking up on your own schedule in your phone when someone ran straight into you, spilling your coffee all the way down your freshly pressed white dress shirt. You look up to see who you bumped into and you felt your heart drop. 

Jeonghan looked back at you with that cheeky grin he always wore. He always picked on you ever since you were in grade school all the way until you graduated high school. You thanked yout lucky stars that you ended up in separate universities and you found yourself free to do what you want without a certain someone constantly annoying you every minute he could. 

**Jeonghan:** Well well well. If it isn’t Y/N. Still a klutz I see.

**You:** What are you doing here Jeonghan? The clown academy is a few blocks down. You have the wrong building.

**Jeonghan:** Of course you would know where the clown academy is, you must be a regular! If you must know, It’s my first day here and I’m already late because my car decided that today, of all days, was the best day to break down in the middle of the road.

**You:** Well if you ask me, I guess your car was trying to tell you something. Why don’t you run along, I’m sure whoever has the displeasure of being teamed up with you is already shaking in their boots. Go ahead, the sorry sap must be waiting.

**Jeonghan:** Thanks for the warm welcome. Oh and, brown suits you.

He gestures to the coffee currently dying your shirt in various splatters of brown. You storm off without a word towards your office. Luckily today, of all days, was when your old coworker finally decided to return the dress she borrowed months ago. It was a bit too formal for the office but beats going around smelling like a Starbucks. You take a few moments to yourself when Chan comes in to inform you that the last teammate is here. You thank him and grab the last docket of briefing materials to hand over. You step out and the entire packet drops from your hands and lands squarely on the floor. Seated on the desk closest to your office was Jeonghan, with an amused smile.

**Jeonghan:** I guess you’re the sorry sap who’s stuck with me.

You curse under your breath but force yourself to remain calm for the sake of the rest of your team.

The rest of the week went smoothly…for the most part. All deliverables were dealt with on time, and timelines were set and accomplished without a hitch. Still, Jeonghan’s constant teasing and your back and forth banter was starting to get on your nerves and you wondered just how long you could go on like this. 

The next few weeks got even busier, with new projects rolling in and the Christmas season just around the corner, everyone was in a rush to get things done in anticipation for the holiday break. You had one last team dinner before everyone was set to take a week off to celebrate the holidays with their families. Gifts were exchanged, laughter was overflowing, and the drinks just kept coming. 

Someone suggests you play a round of Truth or Dare to cap off the night. The questions and dares just got progressively more and more intense as the night went on, the drunker people got. Confident that you had nothing to hide, you didn’t touch your drink at all over the course of the game and answered their questions with utmost confidence. They marveled at your honestly and across the table, you saw Jeonghan flash a sneaky grin. Eventually, his turn came once again and after numerous dares, he finally picked truth. A rather inebriated Chan stepped up to ask a question.

**Chan:** Alright hyung, Yes or No. You’re childhood friends with Y/N aren’t you? At any point have you seen her as a woman?? like LIKED LIKED her?

Jeonghan stares at you with a rather serene look as he reaches for his beer mug and flashes his signature sneaky grin before downing the entire glass in a single chug. The entire team erupts in hoots and cheers as your cheeks glow a bright red. You blame it on the alcohol as you rub your cheeks to try to get the flush out. No one else seems to question how you became so red without drinking a sip; they were probably way too drunk to notice. But you’re half sure Jeonghan raises his eyebrow at your comment. 

Everyone starts filing out of the restaurant and you stay behind to pay for everything. As you step out, you see him staring at the sky. You look up too and see that the first snow has just begun to fall. You stare at the snow slowly falling on him, as the glow of the streetlights bathes him in an almost angelic glow. You slap yourself to get yourself together and wonder if it’s possible to get drunk off of just the smell of alcohol. You notice him looking back at you and he chuckles.

**Jeonghan:** I’m guessing you just drank another glass of alcohol just now considering how red you’re getting again.

**You:** Shut up, my cheeks always get red when it’s this cold out. What are you still doing here anyways? Shouldn’t you be getting home.

**Jeonghan:** It’s snowing out, I remember how much you love it when it snows so I was wondering if you wanted to take a walk. I’m way too drunk to drive home anyways.

You scoff but take him up on his offer anyways. You walk side by side, bickering as usual but this time, it’s more light-hearted and you catch yourself actually laughing sincerely. Perhaps it was because it was snowing or the Christmas spirit all around you that’s putting you in an unusually good mood. The conversation continues on to topics about your past and all the childhood memories you two shared. 

**Jeonghan:** You know I only teased you all those years for your own good.

You look at him with bewilderment and he laughs as he tells his side of the story.

You were new at school and having transferred in the middle of the school year, you found it hard to fit in. None of the kids were particularly mean but at that point, friend groups were already established and no one really seemed keen to take a new kid in. This made you super insecure and you immediately started to shut yourself out. Jeonghan noticed and asked you if you wanted to join him and his friends for lunch sometimes. At that time, you were so far in your pit of despair that you kept declining every time. That’s when Jeonghan made it his daily mission to keep teasing you and basically make your life miserable. Some of the other kids noticed and felt sorry. They defended you and took you under their wing. To this day, you still meet up once a week with those same kids. Jeonghan lost a large number of friends he had because of his constant teasing but through it all, you gained a larger sense of self and you opened yourself up to your new friends.

He tells you it was worth it. As long as he kept fighting you, he slowly saw you gain more confidence as you kept standing up for yourself. He lost some friends along the way but it was worth it, he says, seeing you gain more on your side. He tells you how often he would see you laughing at the corner of his eye and wonder if he should stop teasing you and tell you how he actually felt. He tried to confess but you shot him down before he had a chance, assuming he was out to tease you again. Dejected, he just kept up the ruse until you both graduated and went your separate ways.

When he saw you again on his first day, he felt his heart beat wilder than it ever has in years. There you were, still the same girl who caught his eye the very first day he saw you. He wasn’t really late, he just ran to the coffee shop nearby to try and collect himself. He finally gained enough courage again and went determined to get a fresh start and hopefully be seen in a more positive light. Unfortunately, in his nervousness, he accidentally runs into you and spills coffee down your shirt. Teasing you became a defense mechanism and in his nervousness, that was the only way he could talk to you without looking like a blubbering mess.He tried to talk to you more seriously but just like that day you rejected him, you jumped the gun without even giving him a chance. 

You feel sorry for misjudging him all these years but before you could properly apologize, you reach your apartment building.

**Jeonghan:** I guess this is where you are. Nice place. Go on now, I’ll leave when I see you get in.

You go weak at the knees as he you see his usually snarky expression dissolve into the softest smile. Your usual confident demeanor disappears before your very eyes and all you can do is nod and give a quick goodbye. You walk slowly towards your apartment lobby when you decide to push out a small burst of courage.

**You:** Hey uh, I know tomorrow’s Christmas Eve and all but if you don’t have plans, would you want to uh…help me with work? Yea that’s it! Work. I know everyone’s technically on break and no one’s going to show up but I have a few deliverables I’d really not want to leave as backlog and would uh…appreciate the help. 

You half-chicken out on asking him out but at least it was something? And technically you did have to work tomorrow anyways so it doesn’t count as a cover-up.

He smiles at you so warmly, you feel the snow around you melt.

**Jeonghan:** We’ll see. If I feel like it. 

He shrugs and smirks teasingly at you but for the first time in what seems like forever, it doesn't irk you.

You head in and stop at your doorway as soon as you enter your apartment. You lean against the door and slide down, feeling the giddiness warm your entire body.

You ride up the elevators to your office the next day, half-expecting him to not show up. You wonder if he said all those things last night in all sincerity or if he was just making up stories. You wonder if he even remembers anything he said considering how drunk he was. But you see him sitting at his desk when you enter. His dark brown hair sticking out of his cubicle, still bathed in an angelic light almost as if the glow just follows him around. You both attempt to get work done but deem it futile considering how strongly the Christmas spirit was begging them to just take a break and revel in the celebrations. You realize that both of you wouldn’t be able to make it home due to the insane flight costs and you wouldn't have time to relax before you had to get straight back to work anyways. He asks if you wanted to have dinner and you take him up on the offer.

You spend the rest of the night talking and laughing, making up for all the years you were at each other’s throats. You find yourself slowly putting down your walls and suddenly all the hatred you felt towards him melted away. 

You look at him and his perpetually present angelic glow as he talks and you think back to that fateful day, the day that was supposed to be the greatest day of your life. The day that may have very well been the greatest day of your life.

He catches you just staring at you and takes your hand. 

**Jeonghan:** Shall we go for coffee to cap off the night? I promise I won’t spill it on you this time.

You laugh as you walk under the glow of the street lights. As the snow falls around you, you feel nothing but warmth flowing through you, his hand holding on to yours like he never wants to let you go ever again.

* * *

**Joshua**

The sun has just risen but you were already hard at work. You begin to lay out the cakes and warm up the coffee machine. You write out the specials of the day and take a step back to admire your own work. You might not be that good at baking bread yet, but at least your high school calligraphy lessons made you good at lettering.

The day begins slow, barely anyone wakes up this early on a Sunday anyways. Plus it was pouring outside. You stand at the counter, staring out in the rain and your mind starts to wonder. Your daydream gets interrupted when someone comes running through the doors, soaking wet and panting, on his back he carried what seemed like a large guitar case. 

**Joshua:** Hi! I’m so sorry I’m late the subway chose today of all days to break down and the rain didn’t help either.

**You:** Uh excuse me? Late for what?

You shoot him a quizzical look when your manager appears from behind you.

**Manager:** Oh hey! You must be the guitarist! It’s no problem at all. Why don’t you get dried up back there and you can start preparing as soon as you can.

He bows and hurriedly leaves to dry himself off. Your manager explains that he hired Joshua to play a few times a week. He was the son of one of his college friends and he wanted to help the boy kick off his musical career. You smile and out of the corner of your eye, you see him setting up his equipment on the small stage. His hair was still damp but it looked more styled than soaking wet. He starts off his set with a soft ballad and you feel the small cafe come to life. You never noticed how quiet it was in there and you allow yourself to sway along to the beat. 

You catch yourself staring and at times, you’d meet his eyes. You quickly look away and your futile attempt to look busy and not like you were staring made him chuckle. 

The day went by without much action. At most, three tables were full at a time but aside from that, not much people came. This gave you time to fully immerse yourself in his music and occasionally lose yourself in them. You introduced yourself to him during his break and you instantly hit it off. You listened as he told you about his dreams of someday making it big in the music industry. You in turn talk about your dreams of opening up your own cafe like this one and the struggle of working while trying to finish your studies at the same time. You both talk in between breaks and all the way through closing. Your boss allows you to stay past closing hours and you use the opportunity to show him all the recipes you were working on for your future cafe. In turn, he lets you listen to his unreleased demos. You talk through the night and before you knew it, midnight struck. You both said your goodbyes and officially closed down for the night. 

You saw each other every day at the cafe after that. If he wasn’t performing, he’d be at one of the tables far away writing lyrics or working on music. It would’ve been more comfortable to work on it in his studio but you would like to think he would stay in the cafe in the hopes of getting dinner with you when you closed up. You accepted every single time.

As time went by, you saw him complete song after song and he tasted every single one of the recipes you’d experiment with. Eventually, your hangouts would reach outside the cafe. You’d hang out at his studio often and even got to feature as a backing vocal in one of his songs. He’d attend your graduation and meet all your friends. You were with him when his Soundcloud hit 10,000 followers and celebrated when he a record label reached out to him and wanted to sign him on. He was there when you went location scouting for your cafe and helped you load in the furniture weeks before your official opening. 

He’d drop by and perform at times and just like back then, you’d watch him behind the counter; this time when he’d catch you staring at him, you no longer looked away. Instead he’d keep your gaze locked, and singed the song as if you two were the only ones there. 

Occasionally, he’d help you close down and when everyone left, he’d put on music, take you in his arms and slow dance with you. It was nights like this when you wished time could just stop and you’d stay like that forever.

As time went on, Joshua’s musical career started to take off. You saw each other less and less, sometimes going weeks without seeing each other. You tried to understand, that this was all for the greater good. Until one day, while you were trying to figure out how to fix the cappuccino machine, your friend came bursting in, practically shoving her phone in your face. Staring back at you was a picture of Joshua and the lead singer of a girl group. You knew of their collaboration, you heard the song before even she did but it was the comments on the picture that made you feel anxious.

_“They look so good together! I hope they date.”_

_“Does Joshua have a girlfriend?? If not they should totally get together! Imagine all the duets they could do!”_

_“I bet this song is about her. heheh sneaky. maybe they were dating all this time and we never knew.”_

You trusted Joshua but you had to admit, the comments were starting to get to you.

The rest of the day was filled with texts from friends asking you about the article, if the comments are true. Your anxiety was getting the better of you and you turned your phone off and dove into your work in an attempt to distract yourself. The rain outside wasn’t helping. You half expected him to burst into the doors looking all flustered like the first day you met him. But he never did. You only assumed he tried to call you but you never did turn your phone back on. 

You were sweeping up the floor as you were closing up for the day when you found yourself stopping in the middle of the floor and the wave of memories suddenly came rushing in. You remembered all the times you’d slow dance after you closed down or when you would just sit behind the counter and watch him perform with his eyes locked on you. You crumble to the floor as the stress of the day overwhelms you and allow yourself to finally cry it all out. 

Minutes later, you heard the door chimes ring and you hear footsteps rushing towards you. You feel his arms wrap around your curled up body and he holds you like that until you stop sobbing.

**Joshua: I** ’m sorry. I came as soon as I could. I wanted to come here right when i found out about the article but my manager stopped me from even stepping foot outside my studio lest the reporters followed me here. I managed to escape and came as fast as i could. I tried to call you but I guess your phone was off. I’m sorry I left you all alone to deal with this.

You couldn’t help but feel sorry as you stare at his eyes, an equal mix of worry and fear embedded into them. You knew it wasn’t his fault but you couldn’t help but feel angry and confused at the entire situation.

**You:** You know if ever I’m holding you back, feel free to walk out that door. I’m giving you an out. This is it. You’re only going to get bigger from here on out. You should be with someone who could match you, someone bigger than just a coffee shop owner. 

You stopped yourself before you could say anything else and his rather appalled look made you think that maybe you went a bit too far. 

**Joshua:** How could you say that! “Just a coffee shop owner?” Have you forgotten everything you’ve gone through just to get here? I’ve seen your struggle I’ve been here since day 1, you don’t think I know just how insanely hard you’ve worked?

He raises his voice at the last question and you burst into tears. He quickly brings you into his arms and holds you tight.

**Joshua:** Hey, it’s okay. I’m sorry for raising my voice. I just wish you saw how accomplished you are. how much your passion inspires me and my music. I started out in this industry not knowing where to go or how to get there. But you showed me the path, walked side-by-side with me, and gave color to my music. You’re my music.

You looked back at his soulful eyes and tried your best to revert back to the sobbing mess you were just minutes ago. Seeing this, he wrapped your arms around his waist, wrapped you in his arms and gently swayed back and forth while humming a sweet melody.

You slow danced for what seemed like hours in the middle of your cafe floor, just like you used to. It all felt familiar, calming almost. Like there wasn't a storm outside and online to deal with. It was just the two of your right there in that very moment.

He continued swaying as he whispered sweet nothings. What he said next brought you to a complete halt.

**Joshua:** I’m telling the world tomorrow. That you’re my girl and not some random vocalist i met literally for an hour. That is, if you’re ready for it.

You smiled back. You weren’t sure you were ready for all the attention you knew was coming for you. But you didn’t know if you ever will be. You knew it was now or never. Joshua Hong was definitely a risk worth taking.

You hugged him as tight as you could and that was all the affirmation he needed. You stood in the middle of the room wrapped in each others arms, savoring the last few moments of peace together before the storm you knew was coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you all think of the length? Is it too long? I tried to cut it down but I was afraid of cutting too much. I didn't want to remove too much of my original idea for it. But if it's too long should I just make individual chapters for each member? :O Let me know what you think about the stories and the format in the comments! :) I hope you enjoyed this new prompt! It's one of my favorites! :)


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